“I don’t have to take him seriously”- Israel Adesanya addresses talks of a potential fight against Khamzat Chimaev
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Israel Adesanya-Khamzat Chimaev
UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya is at the top of the world, and while middleweights are desperate to dethrone “The Last Stylebender” of that position, so are the welterweights, at least one. Adesanya last fought for a close yet favourable unanimous decision victory in a title rematch against preceding middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. During the fight, while Whittaker secured multiple takedowns, he couldn’t capitalise it much as Adesanya wouldn’t stay on the ground for long and therefore keep the fight standing for the most part.
We know that Adesanya is a tough grappler as well, but who knows if he is as tough as his potential challenger Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev who used to jump between middleweight and welterweight, now only fights at welterweight. However, it wasn’t long ago when Chimaev was into a wrestling event against fellow countryman and UFC Middleweight Jack Hermansson. Chimaev handled Hermansson like it was no big of a deal to dominate someone like Hermansson who’s a very tough grappler himself and a weight class above Chimaev.
Israel Adesanya believes Khamzat Chimaev “can beat a lot of top middleweights”
In an hour-long studio interview with Ariel Helwani at MMA Fighting‘s The MMA Hour, Adesanya talked about his performance at UFC 271, his future as a UFC fighter ahead, his new lucrative UFC deal that is going to pay him well, and then, his thoughts on Chimaev after the latter’s callout post-Adesanya’s last fight.
“Khamzat, I mean he’s not really relevant right now. I don’t have to take him seriously till I have to take him seriously,“ affirms Adesanya “You know there are levels, so we’ll see how he does with Gilbert. And he’s only fought like one middleweight fight that I’ve seen and I’m just like who’s he fought? And he can beat a lot of middleweights I will tell you that much, a lot of top middleweights. But I don’t have to take him seriously till I have to take him seriously.”
What do you make of Adesanya’s assessment of the fate of facing Chimaev someday? Do you think they both will face each other at any point of time in their life? Chimaev is that fighter who never needed the experience to grow as a top-level athlete and hence is one of a kind athlete in combat sports history? Do you feel Chimaev’s rise to the top will fall as quickly as it is rising? Also, what do you think is next for Adesanya?
Also Read: “Got a few offers already”- Israel Adesanya details how he almost featured in a major Marvel movie
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Abhai Singh Tanwar
(1386 Articles Published)